Grappling-tongs.



No. 731,917. w PATENTED JUNE 23,1903.

v1a. E. LAGKNER.

GRAPPLING TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1902.

any depth of water, the

I 5 ing closed by downward I No. 731,917.

UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

PATENT QFFICE;

GRAPPLlNG-TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 731,917, dated June 23, 1903.

Application filed August 5, 1902.

To all whom it natty concern.-

. Be it known that I, ROBERT E. LACKNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paragould, county of Greene, and State of Arkansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Grappling-Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in grappling-tongs, and relates particularly to that class. of tongs used in grappling for oysters, mussels,and other shellfish, and has for its object to provide a device of this description which may be used in jaws of the tongs be pressure and being 1 provided with alatch adapted to lock thejaws either open or closed, said latch to be operated from above.

With these ends inview this invention consists in thedetails'of construction and comfbmation ofelements hereinafter set forth and l then specifically designated by the claim.

1 ward'to the point from which the j operated. The lower In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detaiLreferring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in

, Figure 1 is a perspective view my im-.

. I proved tongs; Fig. 2, aside elevation of the tongs.

A represents the jaws of the tongs, each jaws are attached to one end of the curved upright barO.

D is the pole or handle, which extends u ptongs are end of this handle D is a socket in which the O fits and slides, or, as

either provided with upper. end of. the bar 1 shown in the drawings, providedwith two therefrom the branch arms B,

side straps E, betweenwhich the bar 0 is held and adapted to'slide.

I The curved arms B have extending upward to the upper K ends of which are pivoted the lower ends of thel links G, the other end of said links being Serial No. 118,501. (No model.)

pivoted upon the opposite side of the straps E. This forms a the handle D is depressed, so as to cause the bar 0 to slide upward between the straps E, the toggle-joint will operate so as to close the jaws A together. Thus it is only necessary to press downward upon the tongs to close the aws.

For the purpose of locking the jaws against spreading I pivot to one of the curved arms B a bar H, which extends in a curve to the opposite curved arm B, and the free end of the bar H passes through a clip I, secured to this opposite curved arm. The lower or convexed edge of the bar H is provided with ratchet-teeth J, adapted to engage the clip I and hold the jaws against spreading, the bar H being held in engagement with the clip by gravity.

K is a cable, cord, or other flexible connection secured to the free end of the barHand extending through an eye L upon the handle .upward parallel with said handle to the upper end. Thus when the jaws are locked against spreading it is only necessary to pull upward upon the flexible connection K,which will raise the bar H, and thereby bring the teeth J out of engagement with the clip I and allow the jaws to spread.

These tongs are designed to be'operated either by hand or by means of a derrick.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown,as slight modifications could be made without departing fromjthe spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- In grappling-tongs, a pair of jaws, curved arms extending from said jaws inward, a guiding-bar, to the lower end of which the inner ends of the handle, a socket secured to the lower end of the handle in which the upper endof the guiding-bar fits and slides, links pivoted at their upper ends to the opposite sides of the lower end of the socket, branch arms extending upward from the curved arms and pivoted to the other end of said links, a bar pivoted to one of the curved arms and extending through a clip upon the opposite curved toggle-joint, so that when curved arms are pivoted, a

arm, said her being provided with ratchet- In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto afteeth upon'its under side adapted to engage fixed mysignature in the presence of two subthe clip and'prevent the jaws fromspreading, scribing witnesses.

at flexible connection connected to the free ROBERT BLACKNER. 5 end of the curved bar and extending upward Witnesses:

to the upper end of the handle, substantially H. ARMSTRONG,

as and for the purpose specified. E. B. BUTLER. 

